Joining the CND protest at the US airbase of RAF Lakenheath where US nukes are expected to return, chair of Young Labour Jessica Barnard said “It’s a disgusting reality that we condemn 4 million children to living in poverty in our communities while we throw unimaginable money at nuclear weapons”.
Video credit: John McGrath
It has been recently revealed that US nuclear weapons are expected to return to Britain. In response, CND has called a national protest at the US airbase of RAF Lakenheath on Saturday 21st May.
Some of you unfortunately won't be able to join us, but we would like to carry your voices with us. Please write a short message on the form below. We'll write it on signs and stick it on the fence on the day of the protest!
Here's some ideas :
- Why do you oppose the return of US nukes?
- Why should other people care?
- Why should people support CND today?
London CND vice-president explains: 'We don't need anymore American bombs or any bombs at all in Britain at this time. We should be going completely in reverse not increasing the tensions that there already are. It's really important for people to come on the 21st to show to the rest of the world that Britain is not lying down.'
Watch the full video:
🗓️Sat 21st May
📍 US airbase RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk
🚍Cheap coaches from London: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/coach-from-london-stop-us-nukes-coming-to-lakenheath-tickets-333669252717
Across the world people are uniting for peace and calling for an end to war in Ukraine. On Sunday 6th March, 2022, London CND joined the No to War in Ukraine Global Day of Action.
Stop the War and CND organised the London demonstration, and thousands showed up to say:
No to war in Ukraine.
Russian Troops Out.
No to NATO Expansion.
We opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We called for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian troops. We also recognised this is a conflict thirty years in the making, a conflict in which Britain is playing a provocative role - talking up war, decrying diplomacy and increased military deployments to neighbouring countries.
At the final rally, London CND vice-chair Bruce Kent delivered a powerful speech:
"We are wasting billions on nuclear weapons which could be used for hospitals, education...We are just showing off!"
Further actions on the subjects are to be expected.
On Wednesday 1st December 2021, CND, Trident Ploughshares and London CND delivered a letter to the German Ambassador in London. Marc Morgan, who called and organised the hand-out, reports:
The idea for this initiative came initially from Pastor Matthias-W Engelke, of the German branch of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. He and fellow-activists had been holding vigils and protests in Germany to call for accession to the TPNW to be part of the coalition negotiation between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP. Matthias encouraged us to hold parallel vigils with the same message in the UK.
In the event it did not prove possible to stage an event before the conclusion of the coalition negotiations, instead we focused our action and our protest on the outcome of those negotiations. We don’t presume an upfront protest by us would have changed that outcome, but given that the large concessions and retrograde steps taken by the negotiating parties in the final agreement, it was very important to register our disapproval.
The Greens had made unambiguous, and the SDP ambiguous, commitments to work towards removing nukes from German soil, and negotiating with TPNW member states with a long-term view to accession. These promises enjoy the overwhelming support of the German people. All that was left of this by the end of the negotiations was a commitment to participate in the March TPNW member state meeting with observer status, wrapped up in hollow phrases of support for the long-term goal of a nuclear-free Europe and world. We have written a polite but strongly worded letter to the German Ambassador in the UK, deploring this state of affairs.
The London CND worker Julie Saumagne and I were greeted at the Embassy by Tim Rauschan, of the Embassy’s foreign policy staff. Tim was friendly and pleasant-mannered – as might be expected from a diplomat- and indicated that the Embassy were always pleased to hear from civil society in the UK, particularly when its members showed an interest in German politics. He politely rebutted our suggestion that the coalition agreement was a travesty of democracy, since it flouted the wishes of a very large majority of German citizens; he insisted democracy was representative, so it was the role of elected parties to “interpret” and if necessary go against popular feeling. Needless to say we hotly disputed this. To the question whether he believed that Germany would be consulted in the event of America considering using its nukes in a conflict with Russia (or others), Tim diplomatically stated it would “depend on the circumstances”.
We left the embassy after half an hour, with a promise our letter would be delivered to the Ambassador, and that he would give it his full consideration. Let’s see how he responds…
Outside the embassy we rejoined David Polden, who had been unable to attend the meeting with us owing to COVID-related restrictions. Instead David had given out about 20 of the flyers we had prepared, explaining our message to German citizens coming to use Embassy services.
This small action was a drop in the ocean of course, but it is an example of much needed international cooperation on these issues. Matthias Engelke, and Marion Kuepker of the “Buchel is everywhere, Atomfrei Jetzt” campaign have taken heart from our initiative and given it their wholehearted support. Details of it have also been relayed to correspondents in France.
You can read the letter below:
Marian Hobbs, former Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, NZ, produced this video message for London CND's 2020 conference: Ethical Foreign Policy.
Tower Hamlets CND, which will be celebrating its 60th anniversary next year, held a meeting at Whitechapel Library on 8th November. The main focus was to discuss the aim of reaching out to other organisations* with similar aims, both inside and outside the borough, with a view to the reciprocal dissemination of information about campaigns, events and matters of general interest.
This forum was described as a ‘Network for Peace’ with the primary strands being social justice, sustainability and peace.
The Chair of THCND, Phil Sedler, explained that he had contacted several organisations about the meeting and that some had expressed interest in the project, whilst not being in a position to send a representative to this initial brainstorming.
It was emphasised that this focus for other groups within the borough would have an informal structure which it was agreed is preferable to many, in particular the young. Carol Turner from London CND and Georgia Elander, staff member, hope to enthuse people to participate and will lend administrative support until the end of February, by which time the group should have found its feet.
The importance of social media was highlighted, and LCND are offering to organise and run a workshop on using technology, including how to set up a Facebook page, using Twitter, advertising events, etc.
The Chair explained that some thought had been given to data protection issues and it was important that each organisation be approached by one of their own members - a cascade of information was a useful analogy.
Having discussed various ways of organising the coalition, two immediate aims were identified:
Individuals within groups need to be contacted, so any personal contacts would be helpful
It was agreed that a social before Christmas would provide an opportunity for further sharing of ideas and insights
GE will send out the initial email inviting organisations to join and a second with details of the social.
THCND’s next meeting will be on 10th January 2019 at Kingsley Hall and the AGM will be on Thursday 2nd March.
Report by Kate Cryan, London CND member
Registration for CND UK’s AGM and conference closes this Friday, 12 October. It takes place in Bristol this year, on the weekend of Sat 20 and Sun 21 October. The AGM is Saturday – your chance to vote on policy for the coming year, including London’s motions, and elect CND’s national representatives for the coming year.
Full details here, including registration for individuals and organisations.
Welcome to this blog entry from Lydia!
You might have heard about my time here with London CND from my previous blog. Last Monday, I had the opportunity to help out with London CND’s screening of The Man Who Saved The World, part of our annual ceremony to commemorate the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. With 50 people attending, many of whom have been members for decades, it was truly inspiring to see everyone come together for the purpose of remembering those who were lost to violence, and maintaining the endeavor for peace.
Catherine West MP speaking at the start of our film screening
The evening started with a warm welcome and talk from Catherine West MP; a woman admirably passionate about the fight against nuclear weapons. She gave a heartfelt speech followed by a reading of an extract from Fallout, by Fred Pearce, a book which explored the detrimental effects of nuclear energy since dropping the first atomic bomb.
The movie began afterwards. Before our eyes played the story of Stanislav Petrov, the man who on 26 September 1983 - a time when the US-Soviet relations were severely strained - prevented not only the start of a nuclear holocaust, but also the end of the world as we know it. Throughout the movie flashed images that reveal the real impacts of nuclear weapons. It stressed that these are not merely a hypothetical issue, but an issue that threatens human extinction by the minute. They are the ingredients to a war which can never be won. The documentary included a mention of a US nuclear missile that really solidified the room’s perception of nuclear weapons. The soldier introducing the missile to Stanislav Petrov described the damage: if all the bombs dropped on both sides of WW2 were combined into a single missile, it would only cause 60% of the damage caused by this one. These were the kinds of missiles that threatened human existence in 1983, and still do to this day. Stanislav Petrov’s actions demonstrate the importance of always choosing to do what is right, despite being alone in believing it is the right thing to do. He demonstrates the reality of the power of the individual in preserving humanity, and in the fight for peace. Most importantly, he personifies the extent to which saving the world - or destroying it - can be truly momentary.
In stressing this, he left us with a crucial reality-check:
“We must learn to coexist like brothers, or perish like dinosaurs”.
Until next time,
Lydia.
Driving rain didn’t deter Rosemary Addington, London CND Vice Chair, or others from London CND and elsewhere from attending this year’s Nagasaki Day commemoration at the Battersea Peace Pagoda, organised by Reverend Nagase. A brief commemoration, compered by Shigeo Kobayashi, was followed by lantern floating on the Thames at dusk.
